sharleenstuart30 Minutes in the Life: November 2018: Portland Whale Watching Expedition
Posted on November 26, 2018
Portland was a nice clear day, and so prior to walking the harbor area, we agreed we would book our tickets to go whale watching. Once done, we walked around and then decided to grab something to eat before heading down to the boat to head out for 4 hours.
I will apologize right up front that there is a lot of photo’s but I wanted to keep the Whale watching trip together. This blog will share the trip out. The next one the trip back in.
The whale watching ship looked big enough and there was a good amount of people on board.
I picked the Odyssey because they offer a 3 year option to go back if you do not see whales.
Waiting to depart gave us some time to look around a take a few photographs
I really loved all the reflections on the water.
Finally we are on our way out. I am pretty excited. I have been wanting to see whales for the longest time. In fact since I stood outside in the cold on our 3 hour island trip in Seattle. I did not see a single whale then. So I was eager to get going.
A quick look back to the harbor area of Portland
We were not the only crew heading out exploring.
In Silhouette.
As we get further out we a different view looking back
This apparently was the largest ship in port.
I love the color of the tug boats, but mmmm do you see what I see….I cannot see the boat behind the tugs that well.
My worst nightmare, the fog is creeping back in.
I can only hope that as we get out the fog will lift.
Big liners in the fog.
Further out and a look back on the city of Portland.
Large working boats in silhouette.
It’s not looking good the fog is wrapping around the boat and we are seeing it behind us now.
A beautiful lighthouse shrouded in fog.
A yacht passed us by in the fog.
A few disgruntled folk with a view of “nothing”
And a few that were feeling the cold.
If there is one thing that Richard hates is the cold. He eventually disappeared inside the cabin area of the boat, while I hung out hopeful that I may still see a whale.
Finally we manage to see a fin. Everyone rushes to the one side. The fin is up close to the boat so we are able to see a little bit more of it but it is not a whale.
Apparently this is the fin of a Sunfish
While you cannot see it well the average length of the Sunfish can be up to 11 ft. National Geographic calls it a floating blob.
The sunfish is apparently the heaviest known bony fish. They can weigh between 500 and 2000 lbs. Sadly it did not stay around too long and we were back looking at the fog.
It fascinated me that in what felt like the middle of nowhere, there were birds flying across the water.
And doing some fishing.
And we hit the turnaround time. To be honest I think we were all ready to head back. The trip was a bust and I was pretty disappointed.
I know that I had high expectations of the whales. I had visions of them dancing on the water for me. No such luck. I hope I do not become jaded on whale watching because I truly think it will be a thrill to see a whale in the wild. Until next time, that was our whale watching trip.
This is a circle blog and I am looking forward to seeing what everyone else has got up to this month. Follow the link here to see what my fellow blogger Kristina of Hello Olivia Photography has for you this month. Don’t forget to leave a little love on her page.
If you missed the Salem and Manchester by the Sea, the first part of Wells Beach , the second part of Wells Beach and the first part of our visit to Portland click on the names and go and check out our road trip adventure. To see the second part of our walk around Portland click here
You can also find me on Facebook, Flickr, Instagram, Google+ and Viewbug.
Share Six: November 2018: Silhouette
Posted on November 6, 2018
This month is one of my favorite themes. Katherine of Cobert Photography chose the theme {Silhouettes} and I love them. However, between my work life and my post editing images from our vacation, and a number of visits to the dentist, I feel like my free time has just vanished. Not only have a been part of the opening of new offices, I am part of the closing of an office, and currently part of moving an office. Added to that we had to move my daughter into her new home. So lots going on.
So instead of shooting silhouettes, I have created silhouettes out of images I took on vacation. I love the stark contrast of black and white when creating silhouettes and I hope that you like what I have done.
When googling the definition of silhouette I found this comment “Silhouette photography is a wonderful way to convey drama, mystery, emotion and mood in a picture. A silhouette is defined as a view of an object or a scene consisting of the outline and a featureless interior, with the silhouetted object usually being black.”
Manchester by the Sea
Wells Beach
Portland Harbor
South West Harbor area
Rockland Breakwaters Lighthouse
Old Orchard Beach Pier
If you have not visited Maine, I would definitely encourage you to do so. Maine is beautiful and so different from the south. I look forward to going back there again in the future.
Thank you for joining me for this month’s Share Six blog post. This is a circle blog. From the sneak peak images I have seen, you are going to want to follow the circle. Please take time to visit my friend and very talented artist Janet Douglas and see what she has for you this month. Keep following the circle to see what the other photographers have shared this month. Don’t forget to leave a little love on their page as well.
You can also find me on Facebook, Flickr, Instagram, Google+ and Viewbug.
Tell me a Story: October 2018: Portland Part Two
Posted on October 31, 2018
I started off our Maine vacation with Tell me a Story and to be honest I have only reached day 2. Saturday and we were in Portland. If you did not read Portland Day 1 you can do so here. Portland is a busy harbor town and I wish we had more time to explore it. Our goal today was to go whale watching, but while waiting for our departure time we explored around the city. Portland harbor area is a mass of wharves and I loved exploring them all.
Damaged pylons of old piers
I just loved seeing all the reflections that I captured in Portland.
We decided to head off the main road and explore a couple of roads back.
Back street bars
Indeed life does feel good
This fascinated me because at the end of this alley way was a restaurant/bar.
I am a fan of external stairs.
Again another little back street with a whole lot of activity.
I could not resist this family of ducks.
Nor this pirate.
We had about 30 minutes of spare time before we headed out on the water for 4 hours, so why not enjoy the local fare.
We stopped at the Portland Lobster Co to have a beer and a shrimp wrap. I have to be honest Maine is the best for Seafood, and we certainly had seafood every day.
![IMG_9683[26743]](https://sharleenstuart.files.wordpress.com/2018/10/img_968326743.jpg?w=600)
We shared a shrimp stuffed wrap which was amazing
![IMG_9685[27780]](https://sharleenstuart.files.wordpress.com/2018/10/img_968527780.jpg?w=600)
Our neighbors had lobster and I could not resist taking a photo much to Richards dismay.
![IMG_9680[26742]](https://sharleenstuart.files.wordpress.com/2018/10/img_968026742.jpg?w=600)
But at least he gave me a smile.
I loved seeing all the bouys along the wall and could not resist this narrow depth of field image.
I decided that I should take a pic of this lighthouse in case I do not see another one in Maine (due to all the fog).
We are heading onto the Odyssey to go whale watching. Check out for the next blog but don’t hold your breathe thinking you will see whales. 4 hours of no whales but a lot of interesting images.
Portland, Maine is definitely place to visit. It is vibrant, and there are party boats, opportunities to go whale watching, seal watching (which may have been a better option), Lighthouse boat trips. There are breweries to visit and as I mentioned an abundance of really good food. Do yourself a favor and add it to your itinerary if you are traveling to Maine.
This is a circle blog and I am looking forward to seeing what everyone else has got up to this month. Follow the link here to see what my fellow blogger Kim of Kim Sidwell Photography has for you this month. Don’t forget to leave a little love on her page.
If you missed the Salem and Manchester by the Sea, the first part of Wells Beach , the second part of Wells Beach and the first part of our visit to Portland click on the names and go and check out our road trip adventure.
You can also find me on Facebook, Flickr, Instagram, Google+ and Viewbug.
30 Minutes in the Life: October 2018: Portland
Posted on October 29, 2018
For this month’s 30 Minutes I thought I would share some of the time we spent in Portland, Maine. Our drive from Wells Beach took about 40 minutes and we saw some great sights along the way. Driving up to Portland we had fog. I was not happy. We were heading to Portland to do some whale watching. Ugh – fog means no whale watching.
I love seeing these old cars driving along the highway, at times going faster than we were. Loving the signs of fall as well.
However, our welcome to Portland was sunny and it was exciting to be able to visit this coastal port town.
An impressive entrance into Portland
So what does this mean. According to Wikipedia it means the following: “Sailors use this term synonymously with the points of sail below a beam reach, since the wind direction is generally the same as the sea direction. Therefore, the phrase “Fair winds and following seas,” implies that a vessel will have good winds, and not have to pound into the waves.” Perfect for this harbor town.
The Portland Harbor area is made up of many wharves with lots of interesting business and restaurants.
This was the Custom House and I found it to be a pretty impressive building.
We did some checking out of restaurant area’s to see where we would eat later in the day, after we got back from the whale watching (Since the fog seemed to have disappeared.
I love the murals showing times gone by.
And once again I am loving seeing all the colorful scenes around the city.
This seemed to be a popular way to see the city.
I love seeing all the boats docked at the harbor.
This little boat was far smaller than many of the others, but it has a really big job to carry out.
I was fascinated by the random square on this building
Another place to eat and they sure looked like they were ready for winter with all the logs stacked outside.
Another view of the Custom House.
A Portland street view with all the brownstone buildings. Wait to see more in Boston.
I felt like this image lent to black and white. I need to do more of them. The mast in the background belongs to a major boat. Look out for it in another blog.
This is such a typical view of Portland.
Given that we had decided we were going to go whale watching, we headed back from our walking tour towards where out boat was leaving from. It just so happened that 2 of my “have to see” items were on this wharf.
Richie was heading down towards the boat.
This apparently is a piece of the Berlin wall.
I know I was one that was happy to see the Berlin wall come down and for east and west Germany to be reunited again.
The second “have to see” was the lock fence. Turns out the took down the majority of the fence, but kept a small portion of it and relocated it to this wharf.
I love that people took the time to go out and place a lock on a fence to show their love for each other.
Thank you for joining me for this month’s 30 Minutes in Life. For the rest of the blog group, please take time to visit my friend and fellow blogger Liz Godfrey Photography and see what she has for you this month. Keep following the circle of photographers to see what the other photographers, from the US and around the world, have shared this month. Don’t forget to leave a little love on their pages.
If you missed the Salem and Manchester by the Sea, the first part of Wells Beach and the second part of Wells Beach click on the names and go and check out our road trip adventure.
You can also find me on Facebook, Flickr, Instagram, Viewbug and Google+
Maine Vacation: Wells Beach: Part 2
Posted on October 20, 2018
For this month of Inspired by Life Blog I am sharing the second part of Wells Beach shares a few more of the bay and harbor along with a short drive to the Island. If you have not read the other blogs, Wells Beach, Maine is a quaint coastal town that “in season” is more busy than I expected. Maine is so different from South Florida. The houses are built differently, mainly with wood, as opposed to concrete in South Florida. I loved the wrap around balconies. We were heading to the harbor mouth but came to a dead end along the way.
Below are some additional images of the bay area that we found by taking a drive down a little side street.
I loved the peacefulness of the bay area. Again we had fog and it gave an eerie feeling to it.
The reflections that I found in the water really captured my attention. The serenity of this image gained me the cover image of a group I am in.
I watched these guys pack up their boat and head out on their fishing trip.
Across the bay is the stillness of the island.
In the background is the island homes. This small strip of island is full of beautiful coastal homes . The bay and marsh area separate them from the mainland. There is a narrow road that crosses the bay area to this group of houses.
Bouys were a common sight along this whole coastal area.
I loved seeing pots of color
This man appeared to be heading out fishing on an interesting looking contraption.
Live lobsters for anyone. This was not a stopping point for us but I did love seeing the boat right outside the restaurant.
We took at drive across the marsh to the island.
Coming from South Florida, where all the overhead lines are actually underground, I was taken aback a bit with the powerline pollution until someone explained to me that it is hard to run cables underground due to the rocky soil.
and just a quick snapshot of some numbers that caught my eye.
Next stop Portland, and what one had hoped was whale watching. On our drive we were able to see the beginnings of the fall changes.
I love being part of the “Inspired by Life” blog group. This is a circle blog so take some time to head across to Tracy Martindale and check out what she has for you.
If you missed the Salem and Manchester by the Sea and the first part of Wells Beach, click on the names and go and check out our road trip adventure.
You can also find me on Facebook, Flickr, Instagram, Google+ and Viewbug.
Maine Vacation: Wells Beach: Part 1
Posted on October 17, 2018
Wells Beach was our destination and would be out hub for the 6 days that we were in Maine. We were fortunate that a friend of mine offered us the use of their cottage and from there we traveled out – Portland, Bar Harbor and the Arcadia National Park, Orchard Beach, Kennebankport, Ogunuit, Portsmouth and the White Mountains of New Hampshire.
But first off Wells Beach I had a long list of places to visit, but looking at my list, I am not sure that I saw all the things I wanted to see. Doing a little bit of exploring we headed off down some side streets and finally found the bay area between the mainland and the island. We still had fog this morning and I loved the peacefulness of the area. So little activity. This area is very marshy and there seemed to be a fair bit of bird life. On thing I really loved about Maine was where ever we went we seemed to find color in the form of beautiful potted flowers and gardens, along with the spectacular sight of fall beginning to show it’s colors in the the trees.
Wells Beach is the weekend destination from what it seemed. Saturday and Sunday were busy traffic days, but they quietened down on Monday. There is plenty of places to each and a huge variety, but we stuck to Seafood. Hey, when you are in seafood town, then you just have to get with it and enjoy the moments. Suffice to say we enjoyed calamari & Lobster Tails (best place was Testa – Bar Harbor), seafood pasta (In Wells Beach), stuffed clams (Billy’s Chowder Shack), crab cakes and Lobster bisque (Jackie Too in Ogunquit), Lobster rolls (in Portmouth) and shrimp wraps (in Portland). Food was so good, but more about that later.
Wells Beach is the home to the Bush family compound found at Walkers Point. There is also St Anne’s Church and St Anthony’s monastery. I did not see the Wedding Cake House. Day trips can be made to Vaughn Island Preserve and Goose Rocks Beach. Quick trips will get to to Ogunquit, a quaint little town.
There is more on Wells Beach, but I did not want to make each blog too long. Look out for the next blog to be completed in a few days. If you missed Salem and Manchester by the Sea take some time to stop by and check them out.
You can also find me on Facebook, Flickr, Instagram, Google+ and Viewbug.
Maine Vacation: Manchester by the Sea
Posted on October 9, 2018
If you recall last we were in Salem, Massachusetts. We left there after a couple of hours and headed to Manchester by the Sea. Why there? Well Richard talked about going on to Rockport, MA. Apparently his Tuna Reality Series operates out of Rockport. Well I watched the movie “Manchester by the Sea” last year and decided that since we were going to pass by the town, we could at least stop and see what it was like.
Manchester by the Sea was a quaint little town with very interesting water front. Down side or maybe upside, the fog rolled in just before we arrived and so it lent to a very eerie looking pics of the town.
Driving in was the view of the harbor and as you can see there were many boats moored in the harbor.
Heading into town we passed the beautiful St. Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Church
We stopped alongside the waterfront and quickly snapped a few images
This almost looks like one of those old selective color photo’s however this is full color photo of bay harbor.
What amazed me is how many Ice Cream shops I saw up north and had to wonder how they survive when the snow comes in.
Some of the little amounts of color that we got to see that day.
I loved this house sitting up on the hill with the fog whispering around the property.
I got to see the beginnings of fall and was reminded of a large oak tree that we had in one of our South African properties that forced me to grab a rake each weekend and go out in the cold weather to rake up these leaves. \
Another beautiful house surrounded by a foggy environment.
We headed down to the harbor mouth and stopped to grab a few images and chat to a local lady about the area. I explained that we had watched the movie and decided to see where it had been made. She smiled and said the movie was very depressing, however the folk of Manchester on the Sea are much happier.
I love the eeriness that fog creates. You will get to see a lot more of the fog in the coming days.
A little more color in the harbor with the First Parish Congregational Church in the background
A wider angle of the harbor. Manchester by the Sea was definitely a beautiful harbor town.
After negotiating the map (which I am reminded that I am not very good at doing) we made our way down to the foggy beach.
What fascinated me was that there were people sitting on the beach in the fog. I know I probably would have packed up and left.
Richard was exploring in one area while I was exploring in another.
We’re on the road again, heading up to our destination Wells Beach, Maine where we will be based for the next 7 days.
Vacations are always exciting. Traveling to places you have never been before is thrilling. I tend to plan and research before I travel and I have a schedule that is probably going to do us in but I am looking forward to seeing what Maine has to offer.
Look out for the next installation as we learn more about Maine.
You can also find me on Facebook, Flickr, Instagram, Google+ and Viewbug.
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